Important dates for your diary – offers about to close which you shouldn’t miss (Jan 2017)

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• James67 says:

  22 Jan22 January 06:40

  I believe 31/1 also the last day for 5000 Hilton visa offer and 7000 Virgin ISA.

  • Anon says:

    22 Jan22 January 07:11

    Also end of the 30% off EMEA sale!

  • Rob says:

    22 Jan22 January 10:59

    Virgin pulled the ISA deal on Friday with no notice, now back to 6k.

• Roger says:

  22 Jan22 January 07:07

  Also 31/01 is the last day to redeem Trailfinders £200 off £1000 spend for those who have managed to save the offer to their AMEX account.

• SLS says:

  22 Jan22 January 08:30

  OT but Rob thanks for your T3 lounge reviews. Currently sat in that Cathay lounge, was the first one in and it’s very very nice. Decent food as well. On my way to BA and then AA shortly just so I can say I’ve done all 3 l. Not quite 5 mind! Thanks

• Kathy says:

  22 Jan22 January 08:33

  OT: Does anyone know how long you have to complete a purchase on Avios.com? How long the ticket sits in your basket for before it’ll time out, and the ticket return to availability?

  • Yuff says:

    22 Jan22 January 09:32

    If it’s anything like BAEC then the ticket isnt guaranteed until payment is processed, so just because it sits in your basket doesn’t mean it isn’t still available, for someone else.
    That’s just my understanding of how it works I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong 🙁

    • Kathy says:

      22 Jan22 January 09:47

      I reckon you are right. I just tried a trial and the answer was ‘not very long’.

      I can foresee a couple of nights spent grabbing and then re-grabbing the same seat every 15 minutes, to keep them available until the Avios.com call centre opens at 8am and I can get them to make an upgrade voucher booking.

      Or can I just book the outbound as a normal booking and then ring up in the morning to change it to an upgrade voucher booking? But then I won’t be able to do that with the return.

      I am beginning to see the appeal of paying twice as much to fly with MH.

      • Yuff says:

        22 Jan22 January 09:53

        If you have enough avios you should book them online, call up the next day and get them to cancel ( hope the tickets re-appear) and then book using your upgrade voucher.
        I have done this several times via BAEC but not avios .com

        • Kathy says:

          22 Jan22 January 10:02

          They told me they might not reappear as available for hours if not days on the phone when I asked them about that.

          I am beginning to despair!
          The only time seats to SYD have still been available in the morning was around Christmas.

        • Yuff says:

          22 Jan22 January 10:17

          I have done it several times and they have said the same ( covering their back) about the tickets might not re-appear. They have appeared instantly when I have done it.
          This is through BAEC using the 241 though.

        • rams1981 says:

          22 Jan22 January 14:00

          Interesting. So Yuff you book an inbound online at midnight with avios paying 2x avios cost + taxes. In the morning you call the UK centre, ask them to cancel the booking and add the seats to your 2 for 1?

          Have they queried it before? How long does it take for the avios to be returned?

        • Alan says:

          22 Jan22 January 14:07

          Certainly for cancelling a booking within 24h (as is free to do on all bookings) I find that the Avios redeposit instantly into my BAEC a/c and credit shows up on payment card within a couple of days. Not sure if Avios.com are the same or not.

        • Genghis says:

          22 Jan22 January 17:34

          @Alan @Yuff. So when you’ve purchased an outbound and return as singles online and then call up the morning after, can the agent cancel the return leg and add it to the 241 then and there on the phone?

        • Alan says:

          22 Jan22 January 17:35

          Sorry my experience wasn’t with 241, just with 24h cancellation window – just saying that Avios came straight back and seats went back into the pool.

        • Rob says:

          22 Jan22 January 19:07

          No. Requires cancelling the return (under 24 hour cooling off period) and hoping it immediately returns to the reward pot.

        • Genghis says:

          22 Jan22 January 17:57

          Cheers anyway Alan

        • Yuff says:

          22 Jan22 January 19:38

          I have done it and cancelled the flights then re-booked, during the same call, the 241 with no issues. Last time was using mine and my wife’s 241’s.
          All the flights returned straight away and the avios was credited instantly.

        • rams1981 says:

          22 Jan22 January 19:49

          Very useful this so I’ll be able to get my flights back from Johanessbourg then.

        • Genghis says:

          22 Jan22 January 21:27

          Thanks Yuff. Much appreciated.

      • AndyR says:

        22 Jan22 January 19:57

        Kathy, are there 2 of you travelling? If so I think your best option is to do what you suggest and book a one-way online when tickets are released at midnight? You can use the upgrade voucher online for 2 pax one-way so no need to call in the morning.

• Chewbacca says:

  22 Jan22 January 11:26

  How you upgrade Award Wallet? I’ve installed it and it says Award Wallet Plus til endish April but I can’t see where I can upgrade it before it expires?

  • Alan says:

    23 Jan23 January 08:48

    Don’t know what your homepage looks like on your AW account but with mine, if I click on my name (top right) I get some options, one of which is “Extend Membership”. If I click on that I get the upgrade page.
    I haven’t yet stumped up the $10 but mine says 12 months from the 19th of January, not an extension to my free trial.

  • Alan says:

    23 Jan23 January 08:50

    Ah, actually, if you click on your profile name and then select “My Profile” you can subscribe there and it does add on to your free membership date.

• rams1981 says:

  22 Jan22 January 12:05

  OT I booked my outbound to Cape Town for Jan 2018 355 days out. I’ve looked at inbound flights from Johannesburg out of interest to see availability and they are always there at midnight but when I check the following morning they are gone. If I’m unable to book the return flights I want at midnight in the next week or so via calling a BA centre abroad at midnight or UK one first thing how likely is it for seats to come up through the year?

• David says:

  22 Jan22 January 16:56

  31st Jan is also the last day for conversions from Heathrow Rewards into Miles and More at the double rate.

  • Rob says:

    22 Jan22 January 19:08

    Should have remembered that, because I did it!

• Tom says:

  22 Jan22 January 20:37

  OT- would like to use Plaza premium in T2 departures in March.
  Seems the dragon pass offer via telegraph/gourmet society links still work for £16.5 each, compared to £35+ elsewhere.
  Anyone had any experience of this offer? Do you receive any different drinks/food offering?
  Details on dragonpass website suggests you get buffet, drinks etc – no mention of restrictions from what I see.

  • the real harry1 says:

    22 Jan22 January 20:52

    once you’re in – you’re in

    they don’t treat you like a second class citizen 🙂

    • Tom says:

      23 Jan23 January 21:28

      Good to know, thanks. For £33 for 2 people you’d be hard pressed to buy 2 main courses I guess elsewhere in T2. Is the food sufficient to replace a meal, or just snacks really?

      • the real harry1 says:

        23 Jan23 January 21:37

        Plaza Prem T3 food (for comparison) isn’t gourmet but it’s good – lots of salad options, pasta etc, fresh quichey things etc – you could very easily call it a full meal if you get 2 helpings – they refresh it regularly at luchtime

        plus of course the booze is perfectly good – Guinness, Moretti beer (on tap), all the regular (not premium) wines & spirits

        calm atmosphere & a cost saving vs airside café / bar offerings if you can sink 3/4 drinks

        • Tom says:

          24 Jan24 January 22:31

          Thanks. Think we’ll give it a go.

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